NEW DELHI: India vice-captain Shubman Gill had a short stay on his return from injury, getting out for four in the first T20I of the five-match series against South Africa. Gill was dismissed on the third ball of the first over.He opened his account by hitting Lungi Ngidi for four on the second ball, driving a wide delivery outside off that went past deep point. On the next ball, Ngidi bowled a length delivery on middle-leg. Gill stepped out, made room and tried to hit over mid-off, but failed to time the shot and chipped the ball in the air. Marco Jansen moved a few steps to his right and completed the catch. The ball appeared to hold up slightly and bounce more than Gill expected. It was a failed outing for Gill in his first match after injury.
Ngidi struck again in the third over, removing India captain Suryakumar Yadav.Gill’s dismissal led to criticism on social media, with several users reacting to his recent T20I form.“This is the performance of Poster Boy and Future of Indian Cricket,” one user posted on X, referring to Gill’s numbers in recent matches.performance of poster boy “I will choose any day Sanju Samson over him,” another user wrote.Gill had picked up a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata last month and went through rehabilitation before being cleared by the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. After India’s 2-1 ODI series win over South Africa on Saturday, head coach Gautam Gambhir had confirmed Gill was fit for the T20I series.Earlier, South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to bowl in the first T20I at Cuttack on Tuesday, citing the dew factor.
